Radhe Radhe!<\/span><\/p>\n Mataji’s first post in this category inspired me\u00a0to contribute this parable from the life of Lord Buddha. Buddha\u00a0Bhagavan gave some nice practical teachings about the concept of the Spiritual Master or Guru.\u00a0 \u00a0Whom should we choose as\u00a0a Guru? The process of selecting a Guru, what characteristics we should look for while\u00a0coming to a decision\u00a0etc. etc. Here is an incident when the Lord tells us something about\u00a0who is worthy to take the Vyas-asan.<\/span><\/p>\n Lord Buddha was asked:<\/span><\/p>\n -To what extent can a person be a speaker of the true path?<\/span><\/p>\n He answered:<\/span><\/p>\n -If a person teaches the\u00a0path\u00a0in such a manner that the audience can transcend the tyranny of the material things and learn how to transcend feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness –\u00a0learn detachment with regard to these – then that person can be called a speaker of the true path.<\/span><\/p>\n – If he is himself trying to transcend the pull of the material world and feel nonattachment toward it, then we can say that\u00a0he is living in accordance with the true path.<\/span><\/p>\n – If he is liberated by this transcendence and nonattachment, then you can say he has found nirvana here and now.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly in our Bhakti path also we come across speakers who talk about manjari-bhav, confidential nikunja-leelas\u00a0and what not, they constantly wipe their eyes with hankies while speaking, yet what effect to they have on the audience ? After hearing such a speaker regularly for a month, do the members of the audience have anartha-nivritti? Do we achieve wonderful qualities such as humility and adosha-darshi<\/em> (not seeing fault in others)? Or am I still envious of my Guru-sister and brother being more popular than I am? Am I still laboring hard to accumulate rupee after rupee by fair and foul means so that I may settle in Dham, with the firm resolution that\u00a0 I will perform good Bhajan AFTER I settle in Dham.<\/span><\/p>\n Is\u00a0my head still puffed up with the knowledge that none of these poor mites\u00a0are practicing\u00a0Bhajan as I do ! Neither do I feel any detachment for the plush accommodation I have in this metropolitan city. When I go to Dham I seek out the most comfortable place I can find out there.<\/span><\/p>\n Believe me I am a very good orator myself,\u00a0you\u00a0\u00a0should hear me at the meetings of the Board of Senior Executives in my company. Oh, I could give a good try at Harikatha too with a lot of success(especially the tear-jerking part)\u00a0! But I know what a hypocrite I am, and that I am full of envy, false ego and a great desire for wealth,\u00a0fame and power. As a result I can never\u00a0influence my audience and pave their journey on the path of Truth.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, when\u00a0 the Bhagavat-speaker (kathakar) is himself free of anarthas and nishkapaT, his words reform the heart, and in a true sadhak, his nectarine speech even cleanses the chitta (sub-consciousness). A true sadhu\u00a0 does not have to open his mouth to instruct – “darshane pabitra koro, ei tomar gun” – this is the litmus test for a sadhu. He will be able to purify <\/span>even a sinner like myself. Radhe Radhe !!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 Radhe Radhe! Mataji’s first post in this category inspired me\u00a0to contribute this parable from the life of Lord Buddha. Buddha\u00a0Bhagavan gave some nice practical teachings about the concept of the Spiritual Master or Guru.\u00a0 \u00a0Whom should we choose as\u00a0a … Continue reading
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"